3 men flee with Rs 26 lakh from ATM's cash van

Three bike-borne men fled with a cash box containing Rs 26.17 lakh from a cash van which was refilling an ATM at central Delhi's Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening. Police have detained four men including the the security guard and the driver of the cash van for their suspected involvement in the heist.

The incident took place on Saturday around 4 pm when the custodian and the gunman who were accompanying the cash van, were waiting outside the ATM leaving the rear door of the van open with the trunk unlocked.

"They told police that suddenly three men arrived on a motorbike and withiin seconds fled with the box containing cash. The cash custodian who was later identified as Jitender Singh, immediately called up the police control room reporting the theft, when he was refilling the machine of a private bank near the Bada Bazar area in Old Rajinder Nagar," said a senior police officer.

Police said, Singh told during questioning that they had filled two other ATMs in Karol Bagh and were heading towards Connaught Place. "He claimed that while he had gone to the ATM with a guard, his colleagues, Mohammad Nadeem and Gaurav were waiting outside near the cash van. The driver, Sanjay, too had stepped out of the van when the accused attempted theft," the officer said.

Police suspects involvement of the staff of the cash delivery company in the heist. Police said that the CCTV footages from the bank and near by areas are being scanned to identify the men and the vehicle used by them. The four men who were present at the van are also being questioned and their involvement cannot be ruled out at this stage. Initial probe revealed that the bikers were following the van from some distance, before committing the theft, police said.

"A case has been registered and we are probing the matter. The cash delivering company has also been approached to check if some employees had recently quit the company. Locals and witnesses are also being questioned," said the officer.